Ghost Town
by Elemental Queen
Summary: Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting... -Edgar Allan Poe. This story is a request by EPICYOSHI39000. May change the rating to M later on.
1. Chapter 1

**This is the longest chapter I have EVER typed. EVER. Not joking. It's like 18 pages long. 18. I'm surprised myself. This is a horror fanfiction requested by EPICYOSHI39000. When did I start taking story requests? I have no idea. It has a slow start but hopefully it entertains nonetheless, I try and develop the main character first.** **For more info, check out author note at the end. Enjoy!**

**Chapter One**

_"Come here." A hand beckoned her, and the world was suddenly lit up, and she saw that she was standing outside, butterflies fluttering about. She looked up at the owner of the hand and felt tears prick her eyes when she saw the face that looked down at her._

_ "Mama?" The koopa felt her heart flood with warmth. Her mother was here, she was standing right here! She was still alive. _

_ "Kady, what's wrong?" The koopa woman's voice was soft and singsong, her eyes sparkling with concern as she looked down at her. It was her. She could even smell the berry-scented perfume her mother used to put on when she was alive._

_ Kady felt tears sting her eyes and slip down her face, "Oh mama! I missed you so much."_

_ The koopa child felt hands on her shoulders, warm hands. Real hands. Please don't let this be another dream, "Kady, I'm here. I never left you."_

_ "I saw you though." Kady sobbed, unsure if they were tears of joy or sadness, dreading that soon this dream might end, "I saw you die."_

_ Her mother's eyes looked sad, "I've always been here. I would never leave you alone. I'm not dead Kady. How could I leave you behind?"_

_ "He hit you mama." Kady's vision was blurred by tears and she furiously wiped them away, not ever wanting to hide the vision of her mother, alive and well in front of her, "I saw the car. I saw the blood." __So much blood._

_ "Shh…" The koopa woman held Kady up close to her blouse. Kady inhaled the sweet smell of her mother and held back a wail. This dream was so real, but it wouldn't last. They never did._

_ "Can you come back with me mama?" Kady sobbed into her shirt, "I'm so lonely. No one loves me. I miss you so much."_

_ "Kady." Her voice was soft in her ears, she planted a kiss on Kady's head, smoothing back the girl's long brown hair with a hand, "I'm here now. I won't leave."_

_ "Please mama, don't leave." Kady whispered tearfully, her face buried in her mother's chest, "I don't think I could bare it, not again."_

_ "Kady." She could hear it then; her voice was fainter, less solid. Kady looked up at her mother's face, horrified to see her began to flicker and fade._

_ "No! Mama!" Kady screamed as her hands began to lose their grip on the fast fading vision that was her mother. __No, please! No! Mama!_

Darkness flooded her vision and Kady sat up, to a world of blue light. She was in her room, moonlight flooding in from her window. It had been a dream after all. _Why did I doubt it, I should have known. She is gone and she isn't coming back._

Kady wiped the tears that were running down her nose and sat up in bed, leaning her shell-less back against the headboard. It had been a few years since…her mother passed; but she could still remember the day in great detail.

It had been a lovely autumn day, leaves of various shades of gold and red flying past them as they walked down the street. They had been on their way to the farmers market down the road, a sort of mother and daughter tradition. Every Saturday morning the two would walk down the road to the town square and they would look at the wares for sale and enjoy some cider, made by a local koopa named Emmalee.

Kady had been skipping behind her mother, enjoying the feel of the cool autumn wind through her hair, her light blue scarf flapping behind her in the breeze as they walked.

"I've heard that there are some new booths being set up." Kady's mother told her as they walked, her purse swinging casually from her shoulder, a charm hanging off of it clinking musically against her shell, "Sandy, that nice lady from church, told me that she will be selling some home made quilts. I have been meaning to buy one. I used to have a lovely warm one, but it got torn up."

"Mama do you think they will have candy apples?" Kady's eyes sparkled at the thought. She loved candy apples. They were her favorite treats besides mint bark and apple pie.

"Yes, Mr. Anderson's wife should have a booth set up." The koopa smiled at Kady who cheered happily.

"Oh yay!" Kady cried, "I can't wait til we get there." She started walking a bit faster, grabbing onto her mother's hand, "Let's hurry and beat the crowds!"

"Kady let's not rush into things." Her mother laughed and forced the girl to slow down, Kady making a pouty face in return, "We will get there in due time."

"Mama, what if they run out of apples?" Kady asked, staring up at her mother with a furrowed forehead. She didn't like the thought of that at all. If they were out of apples then she felt that their day would be ruined. Saturday only came once a week you know, and like other children, Kady was an impatient koopa.

"Nonsense Kady." Her mother shook her head, her short brown hair bobbing around her shoulders, "That won't happen."

"What if it does?"

"Shush dear."

Soon they could hear crowds up ahead, and in no time they were walking down the sidewalk along town square, Kady looking around in wonder at all the colorful decorations hanging from the trees, and the bustle of the crowds. There were many smells in the air, all wonderful. The smoky warm smell of a barbeque grill as a toad sold freshly grilled burgers and oink oink dogs to hungry people. She sweet smell of candy was also fresh in the air, and Kady felt her heart leap up happily when she saw the candy apple cart in the distance, "Mama!"

Kady's mother looked to where Kady was pulling her and laughed, "Sweetheart, hold your horses. We'll be there in a moment."

Soon she had a yummy apple treat in her gloved hand, the other hand gripped in the gentle grip of her mother's hand. The two headed for a booth selling various incense. Her mother picked up a few blue sticks and smelled them, then held them up to Kady's nose for her to smell. She laughed when the child made a face.

"Eww." Kady commented.

"I take it that 'blustery winter' is not our favorite scent?" Kady's mother gave her an amused look.

"Nope!" Kady grabbed some orange incense off the table, "I like burnt orange, can we get that?"

"How about summer mint?"

"Smells like mint ice cream, yum!"

They continued looking at all the wares there was for sale, enjoying a game of corn hole as well, and soon it was time to go home.

"Mama, can we please stay?" Kady begged as she was pulled away from the booth selling cornhusk dolls.

"Sweetie, we have to get home before Daddy worries." Her mother's voice was kind but firm and Kady sighed as she was pulled along.

They started down the sidewalk towards home, Kady nibbling on what was left of her apple treat, fighting her scarf that was flapping about wild in the breeze. She stopped when it wrapped around her face, "Mama!"

Her mother stopped and saved her daughter from the scarf's blinding grip on her face, chuckling at the annoyed look on her Kady's face.

"Mama, my apple." Kady frowned down at the stick that held a half eaten apple on its point that was currently lying on the ground where she dropped it.

"Don't worry sweetie, we can make our own apples in a few days time." Her mother told her, a loving hand on her shoulder.

"Okay." They began walking again and rounded a turn in the sidewalk…that was when they heard the voice.

"Carmen! No!" It was a panicked voice, on the edge of being a scream.

They all looked in shock across the street where a little girl toad was running down the sidewalk giggling, a woman toad running after. The child was dangerously nearing the road; suddenly the toad made a quick turn and dashed across the road.

"Kady, stay here!" Her mother yelled and quickly ran across the road to intercept the child.

"Mama!" Kady screamed, stopping at the edge of the road.

The koopa girl watched as her mother ran to the toad girl, and scooped her up, just a truck went by-very close to hitting them. Kady felt relieved when her mother crossed the road and met the toad woman on the sidewalk who was crying. Kady heard several 'thank you's' and 'bless your heart' when she saw it coming down the road. The koopa girl watched as the dusty grey dump truck started down the road, coming fast.

"Mama!" Kady screamed, watching in horror as her mother turned and started back across the road, oblivious to the oncoming vehicle.

There was a honk, loud, and the slam of brakes. It wasn't going to hit her, it would stop before that happened, or go around slamming into the light pole instead. How she wished one of those things happened, and not the truth that did.

There were screams, most Kady's…the others from horrified onlookers. Her mother of course did not scream, she didn't have time for that; she kept her smile on her face as she started towards her daughter, but then she was gone. It happened so fast that there was no time to react.

The front end of the vehicle was only marred by a few dents, but the grey color was streaked with a new color. Red.

The crumpled form of a koopa was curled up on the black top of the road, streaks of red over the yellow divider mark. Kady ran to her, stumbling over the edge of the sidewalk as she went, too distraught to care.

That was the day that Kady's life took a sharp downhill drop, straight down, Into murky waters. No longer did she find any happiness to equal the moments when she had a mama. Her father lapsed into drinking again and soon there was only one girl in a silent house. She never had any siblings; it had only been mama, daddy, and her. Now she had no one but herself.

Kady walked over to her window and sat on the old toy box in front of it, and looked out. She stared out at the empty street, the road lit up in large spots by two tall lampposts, the wind whistling as it ran its fingers across the window. The koopa didn't want to go back to sleep. She hated the false images-they were cruel. Mama had been in her dreams for weeks now, and she had had enough of it. It was more than wonderful to be with her again even in her dreams, but the heartbreak that came after was too much. The realization that she would never hug her mother again was _too much_.

_Why wasn't it me?_ Kady asked herself as she watched leaves blow outside. She had an image in her mind of those crumpled bits of leaves being bits of the earth breaking up and drifting away. It was both a beautiful and depressing vision.

"I'm tired." Kady didn't speak to herself, she just stated a fact. She was very tired…but only on the inside. Her heart was a tired broken thing.

_I need to get away. Somehow, I have to._

Kady got up and walked away from the window. She grabbed her cell phone off the bedside table and looked through her contact information. When she found the number she wanted, she selected it and waited. After awhile the person on the other end picked up.

"Dan, is your offer still available? The road trip thing."

00oo00oo00oo00

"Does your daddy know?" His voice was teasing, but in a way that didn't bother Kady. She was used to this.

"Yeah, I left a note." Kady tossed her bags into the back of the truck, brushing back her brown bangs out of her face.

A koopa sitting on the tailgate laughed, pulling her blonde hair into a short ponytail, "That always works out well in the end."

"You're lucky I don't live around here." The male koopa said, sitting by the blonde on the tailgate, "You all can't get a license till you're like sixteen."

He was the oldest of the group (Kady youngest at 13), fourteen in a half and capable of driving legal. Dan was her ticket out of this dreary town, a sunken pit that contains way too many memories. It was time to break free.

The blond girl rolled her eyes, "Yeah but ya still can't drive worth a damn."

"Shut up." Dan pushed her lightly on the shoulder and she stuck her tongue out in response.

The blond koopa, a 14-year girl named Nina, was Dan's cousin. They had grown up playing, as children so they turned out to still be good friends when they were teenagers. She was the one who suggested the trip, waving several brochures at him one day. Dan had decided that a trip would probably be good for everybody, hinting vaguely at Kady's depressing home life. He was right of course.

"Did you pack enough clothes?" Dan heaved another heavy pink duffel bag into the truck, giving Nina a sour look. The girl just laughed again.

"Why so quiet Kady bug?" Nina gave Kady a curious look.

"Sorry." Kady sighed, "I'm just tired."

"Bad dreams again?" Dan asked, after tossing another bag into the truck.

"A mix of bad and good I guess." Kady leaned back against the bags piled near her and stared up at the clouds. It was a beautiful day, blue skies and large puffy white clouds.

"We should high tail outta here as soon as possible." Nina suggested, "I want to get out of this town already."

"Patient as always." Dan said, smiling at Kady who smiled back in response.

_I can't wait either. It won't be fast enough, when we leave this place behind. There is only one person I'll miss. And she's not here to see me off._

00oo00oo00oo00

The road stretching out before them was a sight to see. Kady felt a smile take up her face as she leaned over the seat to watch as they drove forward and away from Shroomly. Now all that awaited them was adventure, and new sights. All the old stuff could be wiped away, Kady felt anew, and this was a great relief.

"Woo hoo!" Nina cheered as they passed another road sign, this one saying '**You are now leaving Shroomly'**, "Sweet freedom!"

"So, where are we heading?" Kady honestly couldn't remember. She was so ready to get away, to go _anywhere_ that she didn't really care if they were flying to the moon.

"Koopa falls." Dan said.

Nina searched the dash drawer of the car and pulled out a map, she loosened her seatbelt and leaned over to show the map in full view. She pointed at a place on the map circled in blue ink. Kady looked at it curiously.

"Koopa falls? Isn't that the place near the biggest water park?" Kady felt her voice rise in excitement.

"That's the one." Nina grinned.

"Nina your foot is in my face." Dan informed them from the drivers seat.

"Whoops." Nina handed Kady the paper along with a few brochures and sat back straight in her seat.

Kady scanned the pictures in the brochure. This place looked really neat, and was on the edge of one of a large city, so there would be tons of other places to visit too. _I should have went somewhere long ago, this is going to be so much fun_.

00oo00oo00oo00

They had drove all day, stopping a few times to take restroom breaks and snack. Time passed quickly and when the sun began to set Dan pulled his truck into a motel parking lot. It was time to get some shuteye; they were finishing their journey tomorrow.

"This place looks like a roach motel." Nina said as she took in the short roofed rough-bricked building in front of them. She kicked a can that was lying nearby, a look of distaste on her face. There was nothing glamorous about staying at a cheap motel.

"Relax cuz." Dan laughed, pulling a duffel bag out of the truck bed. He hauled it over his brown shell and pulled a key out of his pocket with his free hand. He tossed it to Kady who caught it, "Be a doll Kady bug, and open the door."

"Sure." Kady grinned and held the door open for him. He gave her a crooked smile as he passed her and she felt her heart flutter. They had been friends for a long time, but Kady had always had a bit of a crush on the koopa. Of course his love would never be returned probably. _He's an optimist, and I'm just a dreary koopa girl who only finds beauty in her dreams._

Inside they found flower print wallpaper that had a yellowish tinge, discolored from cigarette smoke most likely. Nina wrinkled her nose as she stepped in, closing the door behind her, "This place does suck. Oh joy."

Dan dropped the duffel bag on the ground and sat on the bed. He bounced a bit on its surface, "The beds are soft."

"Lemme try one." Nina sat down next to him, wiggling her small tail into the mattress, a frown on her face, "Eh, I guess so; but the minute I see anything creepy crawly I'm so out of here."

Kady dropped her small bag onto the other bed and started for the door, "I'll get the rest of the bags."

Dan leaped up, "No Kady, I got em."

Kady sat down on the bed as Dan ran out the door, the wood door swinging closed with a creak behind him.

00oo00oo00oo00

That night Kady and Nina took the first bed; of course because they were both girls and it would be more than a little awkward if Dan shared a bed with one of them. Kady blushed at the thought as she un-tucked the sheets of her part of the bed, Nina already fast asleep on her side of the bed.

When she was under the covers, she flipped the bedside lamp off and stared up at the dark ceiling. _We're far away now. Miles away._ She should be happy, but why did she feel so sad? She couldn't be homesick! The thought was absurd; there was nothing for her at home…nothing to leave behind. _My dad probably won't even realize I'm gone until weeks later, and I'll be home then._

Kady rolled over, facing the window. The moon was beautiful and full outside, and cast its glow brightly in the room. She watched it for a long time then felt herself drift asleep.

_Sunlight rolled in from the open window. Kady found herself sitting at the kitchen table at home, looking out at the wide blue skies outside the window, a soft breeze flowing into the room. She wasn't alone, someone sat across from her._

_"Kady." The woman's voice was not panicked, it was a calm voice, but there was a sense of urgency in her tone, "You need to come home."_

_"Mama?" Kady looked at the koopa, feeling sadness flood her heart again. Once more she was aware she was in a dream, and she knew that her mother had came to visit her again-but not to stay. Never to stay._

_"Yes, I'm here."_

_Kady leaned back in the cushioned chair, her nails sinking into the placemat at the table, "Why can't you stay? Do you know how this makes me feel? You're always in my dreams, but your nothing but a specter. You're not my mama, she wouldn't taunt me so."_

_"Taunt you?" Her mother sighed, "Sweetheart I love you, and just because you don't have me in a physical sense, does not mean I'm not there."_

_Kady stood up, slamming her fists onto the kitchen table, she felt fury in her heart like a storm, "This is fake, and you're not here. I saw you die."_

_"Come home Kady." Her voice was pleading._

_"Why?" Kady laughed, but it was a mocking laugh, tears biting her eyes, "So that I can go to school where I have no friends because I'm 'too weird' and come home to a dark house where Dad is passed out drunk on the couch? What kind of life is that? I don't want to ever go home!"_

_"Go home Kady." The koopa woman stood up, tears falling down her face, eyes sparkling wet in the sunshine, "I fear for you."_

_"What's that supposed to mean?" Kady felt her heart pound in her chest, like she really was here in her own body, but she knew that was only her subconscious playing tricks, this dream was no part of reality, "What is there to fear?"_

_ Her mother moved around the table to grab onto her daughter's shoulders, and looked deep into her eyes, her blue eyes shining with unshed tears, "Go home Kady. Or something terrible will happen."_

_ Kady backed away from her, her blue shell bumping into the wall behind her, "I-I don't understand."_

_ The koopa cried out as her dream mother's claws sank into her shoulders, her eyes wide in a way that frightened the girl. Her mother looked terrified, "The darkness will consume you. You will be devoured alive if you don't go home. You're going to find yourself on a dark road. If you do not heed my warnings you and your friends will die."_

00oo00oo00oo00

"Wake up. We have to get moving."

Kady opened her eyes to see Nina looking down at her, an impatient look on the koopa's face.

"Hurry Kady bug!" Nina flipped the covers off Kady's body, "We slept late."

She got up quickly just as Dan opened the door and stepped into the room, "All the bags are in the truck." Dan informed them, "I'll go return our room key, and then we'll be on our way."

Kady slipped her shell on and tied her hair up into a high ponytail. Nina was slipping on some lip-gloss when Dan came back in, "Okay, time to hit the road."

Everyone piled into the truck and soon they were on their way again. Kady watched the scenery pass them by as they started down the highway; she had forgotten to bring her K-Pod so all she could do to entertain herself was stare out the window. Unfortunately Dan's truck didn't have a working radio.

Nina entertained herself by putting down the visor and putting on some more makeup. Dan of course, was driving, whistling an unfamiliar song as he did so.

Hours passed and Kady sighed loudly, feeling so bored she felt ready to scream. Nina felt the same way, having flipped through the same magazine three times already, and checking her makeup several times in-between reading.

"Ah hell." Dan stopped at a crossroads. They had long since got off the highway and now were on rural roads. He pulled the map out of the middle front compartment under the non-working radio and stared at it, "I think we may be lost."

"You're kidding right?" Nina huffed. She peered at the map, "I thought we were supposed to make a turn at route 68?"

"You didn't tell me that."

"Oh my gosh, really?" Nina scowled.

Kady leaned forward to glance at the map, "Try turning left, maybe we can take this shortcut." She pointed to the place on the map that led back to the main road again.

"That might do." Dan made the turn, throwing the map at Nina who made an annoyed noise.

Kady watched as the fields of corn passed them by and soon there were meadows. As they went down the road trees began to populate the area and soon they found themselves in some woods.

Soon it began to rain, and Dan turned on the window wipers. Kady closed her eyes and leaned back into her seat, enjoying the soft noise of the rain. She didn't realize she had fallen asleep until a thunderclap had awoken her. She was startled by the sudden noise and hit her head on the truck roof.

"Oww." Kady blinked up ahead at the front window. It was raining so hard it was hard to see where they were going, and it had gotten really dark in a short amount of time.

"I can't see." Dan growled and soon he had pulled onto the side of the dark road. He hit his fist against the side of the steering wheel in frustration.

"Gosh this is bad." Nina commented as the rain began to pound harder onto the windshield.

Kady felt nervous. Storms always made her feel this way, "Is there any place nearby where we can stay for awhile?"

"This map doesn't list anything." Dan scowled when he glanced at it. He turned the key back in the ignition and the truck started up again, "I'm going to try and get us someplace with shelter, this storm is too dangerous."

They drove carefully through the woods and soon came to two roads. One led a sharp right deeper into the woods, the other a straight path.

"I see a sign." Nina pointed at the path to their right and they did indeed see a sign half wrapped in dead ivy, "But I can't see what it says."

"A sign is good enough for me." Dan made the turn right and soon they were heading into the darkness of the trees, finding some shelter from the rain under the thick canopies. They drove for a while and soon the trees thinned out and they found soon that the rain had stopped too.

"Look." Nina pointed up ahead.

Dan parked the truck alongside the road and everyone got out.

"It's a…town?" Kady said in disbelief. A whole town in a forest? Out in the middle of nowhere?

"Where are all the people?" Nina wondered as they walked down the path leading into the town, "This place is quiet."

Kady looked around her in awe. They were surrounded by tall brick buildings, some made of a dark wood. She passed what appeared to be an old cakery, a small sign with a cupcake painted on it hanging from the window, faded from age.

"It's been abandoned." Dan said after staring into a dark window, "Why the heck would someone leave all this stuff here?"

"What do you mean?" Nina said, "Who cares, these are just some old buildings, they can build new ones."

Dan shook his head, "Take a look inside here." He was standing in front of a brick house next the window, "There is still furniture inside."

Nina peered in, "Wow, you're right! That's weird."

Kady looked in also, wiping some dust off the window so she could see better. The koopa saw a baby's cradle resting nearby, along with a dresser and a small old fashioned looking couch near some stairs. Many portraits hung from the walls but she couldn't get a good look at them from where she stood.

Everyone gasped when thunder roared and turned to see the storm clouds darkening through the trees.

Nina began knocking on the door, "Hello? Anyone here?"

Dan jumped a foot in the air as the ground trembled beneath them, "No one is here Nina, look at all the dust, just try the door."

The koopa opened the door and everyone rushed in, shutting the door closed behind them. Kady glanced around them with wide eyes. She still couldn't believe everyone had just left this stuff here.

Nina sighed in relief when they were out of the storm, she looked around at their surroundings, a confused look on her face, "Wow these people didn't care for memories; they left all their personal crud behind."

Dan blew some dust off a picture on the wall, "These are family pictures, why the heck would they just leave all this?"

"Maybe they never left?" Nina said in a creepy teasing voice.

"Not funny." Kady remarked, rolling her eyes as she left the room to explore the rest of the house.

The koopa found herself in a kitchen next and found herself opening up every drawer and cabinet, she was startled at what she found, "Guys! Kitchen now."

Dan and Nina stepped into the kitchen, "What did you find?" Dan asked.

Kady held up a can, "There's food in these cabinets."

Nina whistled when she looked in the sink, "Gross! There are dirty dishes in the sink."

"That's really odd." Dan frowned, and opened a few more cabinets.

"Here's a fridge." Nina stood in front of an old fashioned looking fridge looking unsure if she wanted to open it or not.

"Let's assume that one is probably full too." Kady cautioned.

Dan ignored her warning and opened it; he immediately recoiled when an awful smell hit him, "What the hell!"

It was pretty disgusting. It smelled like rotten eggs and every rotten food above that one piled on top. Nina made a gasp like noise and ran out of the kitchen. Dan quickly closed it.

After awhile of looking through dressers downstairs, the group ventured up some creaky wooden steps, a long dusty brown carpet trailing down them. When they reached the top they found a long hallway, two doors to the right, and two to the left. They opened the first one to the right and found what looked like a storage room, boxes piled in every corner. Dan dug through a few boxes, but only found some sheets and a few old toys.

The next few doors were bedrooms, the one on the far right near the hall window a child's room. Kady pushed the door open slowly, the old door making a long creaking noise as she did so. The koopa paused in the doorway, taking in the room before her. The wallpaper was a pale pink color, appearing to be darker in some places, possibly having faded in time. A small white wood bed rested in the right corner of the room and the windows were decorated in pink and yellow spotted drapery. Kady looked up at the small ceiling fan up above. She saw koopa shells and fire flowers painted on its fans, some of the paintings only half there, most chipped away at the corners.

"Wow." Nina stepped in after her, taking in her surroundings, "Who would leave all this behind. It's just crazy, you know?"

Kady nodded but didn't look at her, instead she moved to the toy chest sitting to their left near the closet door. She opened up the chest slowly and coughed as dust flew into the air when it came open. Kady pulled out the first object she touched and held it up to her face.

It was a wooden wiggler, the pieces connected to one another by yellow yarn. The caterpillar looking creature's face was painted in a cheery smile, but at one end it was an angry face instead of having the rear segment of the creature. Kady placed it back in the toy chest, a feeling of immense sadness coming over her.

Nina was at the bed, a stuffed mushroom doll in her hands. The girl looked down at it for a while, "I wonder why they left it. All of it."

Kady moved the drapes away from the window and looked out at the empty street, "I don't know." _Maybe this is just another dream._

00oo00oo00oo00

They finally decided that it would probably be a good idea to take shelter in the abandoned home. Kady and Nina were against it at first, because frankly the place was really creepy. However they changed their mind once they walked out onto the porch and were assaulted by heavy winds.

"What the freak!" Nina screamed.

Everyone quickly ran back inside and slammed the door. They listened to the thunder and wind beats on the house for a while then took a seat on an old couch, dust taking to the air as they did so.

Nina coughed as the dust hit her nose, "Why didn't we hear this crap earlier?"

"I guess it just started up again." Dan frowned, "I hope my truck doesn't get hit too hard."

"I'm sure it will still be there tomorrow Dan." Nina rolled her eyes, "What I'm worried about is _us_."

"What do you mean?" Kady felt a chill run down her back. The koopa quickly looked up at the stairs, feeling as if someone was watching her. _This house does give me the creeps._

Nina put on a wicked smile, "Have you ever seen movies where the teens get stranded out in the middle of nowhere and find a strange place like this? Do you know what happens in those movies?"

Dan gave her a playful shove in the shoulder, she giggled as he did so, "Nina, don't scare Kady bug."

Kady's face flushed, "I'm not scared!"

"Calm down Kady bug." Nina laughed, "We know!"

_I'm really not scared! I mean, there is nothing to be afraid of. It's only the three of us here._

Soon it grew dark outside and they began heading up stairs to find a good room to sleep for tonight.

"Are you sure they won't come back and find us here?" Nina asked no one in particular.

"I doubt it." Dan laughed, "Dust and rotten food? They're long gone."

_But where did they go?_ Kady frowned as they looked around the next bedroom, the master bedroom. _Did they just get up and leave one day without a second thought?_ _Just got up and left without taking anything?_

They decided to all sleep in the same bed, a huge king bed, mostly because no one could handle being alone in this strange house. After Nina shook the bed sheets to death because of dust, and looked carefully for any bugs, everyone settled down in the bed, Dan making sure to give the girls plenty of room-though Kady felt her foot brush his once on accident.

After chatting for a while Nina quieted, having fallen asleep, and it was just Dan and Kady.

"Good night Kady bug." Dan smiled at her and pulled the covers up to his nose.

"Night Dan." Kady smiled and curled up between her two friends. Soon the room grew quiet, except for their quiet breathing. Kady was comforted by the other koopa's being around her, but still had an unsettling feeling. She buried her head a bit deeper under the covers. _There it is again, that feeling like someone is watching me. But there's no one here but us. Right?_

00oo00oo00oo00

Kady blinked sleepily as a blast of sunlight hit her face. She sat up in bed, the sheets falling off her body, and blinked at the window to the right of the room. _Odd, I didn't think we opened it._ The koopa found that the drapes were flowing in a warm breeze, the window open halfway.

Careful not to awaken her still sleeping friends, the koopa girl carefully crawled out of bed and went to the window. She peered down at the street below and gasped in surprise. A toad child was standing in the middle of the street, staring up at her. _Where did he come from?_

"Where are your parents?" Kady yelled to the child. She waited for a response, but the toad child said nothing. Instead he began running away. The koopa quickly ran over to the bed and began shaking Dan, "Guys wake up!"

"Hmm?" Nina rolled over with a loud yawn, and sat up, "What's going on?"

Dan sat up as well, giving Kady an odd look, "What's up Kady bug? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Don't say that Dan." Nina groaned, "I had horrible nightmares last night."

_I didn't have any dreams last night._ Kady realized in shock.

"So what's up?" Dan gave her a curious look and Kady shook her head, deciding to attend this new matter than to muse why she didn't dream last night.

"I saw a kid outside."

00oo00oo00oo00

"I don't see anyone." Dan gazed around at the empty buildings surrounding them.

"Maybe he hid in one of these buildings?" Kady suggested, walking towards an ugly green building with broken glass jutting out of the windows.

"So there are people living here still." Nina whistled, "I think we've came across a hobo town."

Dan just laughed and they began walking. They all tried the nearest building's door, and were not surprised to find that it wasn't locked. The male koopa stepped in first, blinking in surprise at what he found, "Wow, this looks to be an old doctors office."

"Doctor Liam R. Snipe." Nina read from a faded lettering on the wall near a desk. There were two doors and the girl opened the nearest, "Nothing but some file folders in here."

Kady opened the next-door and screamed as a shadow flew out of it. The koopa fell backwards and watched as the raven flew out the open doorway and took to the sky.

Dan helped her to her feet, "You okay Kady bug?"

"Yeah, thanks."

Nina led the way down the hall, an eager smile on her face. She was a bit creeped out but it wasn't as bad in daylight, now she was just looking forward to some exploration. It was very weird finding an abandoned town, but also really cool to explore it and see what one could find.

The door opened out to a wide hallway, both open and closed doors lining the wall, including a metal one at the end of the hallway. Nina opened the first door to their left and stepped in, "Cool!"

"What did you find?" Dan looked in and grinned, "Nice!"

Kady was the last one to step in, still startled from her surprise earlier, and was alarmed to find all sorts of machinery. Nina was standing next to a tall one near a window, a light bulb at it's top, "I wonder what this thing does?" The girl wondered.

Dan pulled a file cabinet open that was to the left, and pulled some files out. He flipped through them, skimming through most parts, "These are names, probably of patients."

They left that room after checking out the rest of the medical machines, and then looked in the rest. The others were just separate waiting rooms for individual patients, so that left the door at the end of the hall.

Dan was the one to pull at this door. He was pleased when it came open without effort, a few doors they tried had jammed, and he had to kick them open.

This room was very dark, no windows whatsoever. Luckily Nina had found a small flashlight in a desk drawer and switched it on. They were surprised to find another door straight ahead. To their right and left there was only a desk and a potted plant. There was a small sign to the right of the door and Dan brushed a cobweb off its surface, "Cold storage."

Nina shared a look with Kady who looked uncomfortable, "Wait, isn't that where they store medicine and organs and stuff?"

"I didn't need those images in my head." Kady sighed.

Dan moved to open the door but Nina shrieked, "No way! I'm not going in that room. You're insane."

"Why not?" Dan gave her an amused look, "Are you afraid you'll see a dead guy or something?"

"Not funny." Kady said, "Now can we please leave? I don't want to smell rotting who knows whats."

"I agree." Nina nodded and they turned to leave. Dan just rolled his eyes and followed, mumbling something under his breath no one could hear.

Outside they moved to the next building, Nina all full of excitement, "Do you think we'll find money? Maybe a freaking gold mine of stuff. Oh hell, I should have searched the jewelry boxes back at the house."

"We can do that when we get back." Dan said.

"What?" Kady stopped, "You're both going to take stuff?"

"Duh." Nina laughed, "They left it, so why can't we?"

Kady frowned, "I don't know. It just doesn't feel right."

"Yeah respect the dead Nina." Dan teased.

"Who said they were dead?" Nina retorted.

Kady felt another chill brush down her back, but shook it away. _Don't let them scare you._ _There is nothing frightening about a bunch of abandoned buildings._

The next few buildings were nothing special, just a few office buildings and a postal office. The building next however was very interesting. It appeared to have caught fire at one time, but remained intact for the most part.

"Wow." Dan looked up at the tall blackened building, the dark glassless windows revealing nothing about the contents within, "I think I know why no one is here."

"What do you mean?" Nina looked up at the building. Kady stood next to her, an uneasy feeling sweeping through her body. _Something happened here._ _Something bad. But I don't know what._

"Well." Dan gave them a wicked grin, "Maybe everyone was trapped in this building."

Kady gave him a horrified look, "Don't say that!"

The koopa held his hands up in surrender, a grin still on his face, "Relax Kady bug, I was just joking."

Kady scoffed in response, "There is nothing funny about death."

Nina gave Dan a smoldering look and he lost his grin. The koopa sighed and scratched his head, looking uncomfortable, "I'm sorry Kady. I didn't mean to offend you."

"Never mind." Kady turned away from the building and began walking away, fists clenched. _How could he be so insensitive?_

Nina ran to catch up to her, quickly stopping her with a quick hand on her shoulder. Kady turned to face her, "Kady, It's alright. I mean, Dan didn't mean any harm. He just doesn't think before he opens his mouth."

Kady gave her a small smile, "I'm fine. I just overreacted."

"If you need to chat." Nina squeezed her shoulder gently, "I'm here."

"Thanks."

"Guys!" Dan yelled.

They both turned to look at him. Both were surprised to see that he was staring back towards the house they stayed the night in. The girls ran over to him, "What's wrong?" Nina asked.

He pointed towards the house and they looked. For one moment Kady thought she saw something move in one of the high windows, but looked again and there was nothing there.

"I-I…I saw a girl." He explained, his face pale, "She was standing in the window."

"I don't see anyone." Nina said, squinting her eyes up at the house.

Kady frowned and stared at the window where she thought she saw something, but only found dark glass. _Creepy._

Dan frowned but shook his head, "Let's just check the rest of these buildings out."

"I want to get back on the road again." Nina sighed as they walked, "This is neat and all, but I'm hungry and I need a shower."

"Me too." Kady didn't like to complain, but she really was very hungry. The moment Nina mentioned food, her stomach started aching.

"Game plan." Dan clapped his hands together, "Mini mart." He began walking. Both girls shared a look of confusion. Nina ran to catch up to him.

"What do you mean by that?"

Dan grinned, "I saw a little store on our walk in. We can raid it for some lunch."

"It won't be any good." Kady pointed out.

"We'll go for the non-perishables." He replied.

00oo00oo00oo00

After finding the mini mart and consuming some canned sausages, old fashioned bottled root beer, and some candy; the gang started for the house they had stayed in last night.

"If we find any pearls, they are all mine." Nina announced as they walked towards it.

"What about the kid? And the girl?" Kady asked suddenly.

Dan shook his head, "I was probably just seeing things, let's just grab some junk and get back on the road."

Kady shook her head, "I _know_ what I saw. There was a toad child. He had a blue and white cap on and a little brown button up vest. I _saw_ him."

"Maybe he was left here, I dunno." Nina frowned as they stepped onto the porch, Kady close behind, "No one has objected to our presence yet, so I wouldn't worry. A kid won't care for some missing jewelry anyhow."

"Unless it's his mothers." Kady said.

"Drop it Kady." Dan sighed, "We were just seeing things."

_I know what I saw._ Kady glared at the back of his head as they went back inside the house.

"I'll check downstairs, you head upstairs." Dan nodded at Nina who started for the stairs. He turned to look at Kady, "If you feel uncomfortable with what we're doing, just wait downstairs until we finish. I won't make you do something you don't want to do."

"Alright." Kady stiffly brushed by him and sat on the couch, her heart hurting in her chest. She couldn't believe this was the koopa she had had a crush on a day back. _I didn't think he could be so…unlike what I thought he was._

Dan left for the next room, a sort of sitting room with a fireplace and chairs, leaving Kady alone. The koopa leaned back into the sofa, trying to get comfortable. This was a sofa made for toads, she could tell. Koopa couches were very plush, so that ones shell could sink into the cushions comfortably, this sofa was stiff-probably meant for toad kind. After awhile Kady found an okay spot, sitting with her feet propped on the small table in front of her, and closed her eyes.

She opened them seconds later when she heard a clinking noise in the kitchen. Kady looked towards the open doorway, quieting her breath. She listened and heard another noise, "Dan?"

"Yeah?" His voice was coming from the other direction, in the sitting room. _Then who is in the kitchen?_

Kady got up slowly from the couch, "Just checking." She called back. The koopa then proceeded to walk to the doorway leading into the kitchen. She stepped through the entryway and found nothing out of the ordinary. The kitchen was empty.

Suddenly she heard another noise, this time it was coming from the closet near the fridge. Kady swallowed and took a step forward, "Is anyone here?"

She waited for a moment then heard the noise again, it sounded like someone was scratching on wood. Maybe an animal got trapped in the closet somehow? Kady was afraid, but the thought of leaving something trapped scared her. _I'll just take a peek._

Kady turned the knob slowly her heart beating fast. When the knob was turned as far as it could go, she took in a deep breath-and threw it open.

And screamed.

00oo00oo00oo00

Nina heard a scream from below and nearly hit her head on the dresser she was bent under, having dropped a bracelet seconds back. The koopa quickly ran out of the room and hurried downstairs, "Kady!"

Dan nearly ran into Nina as she sped downstairs. They both turned towards the kitchen where the screams were coming from. Dan was the first one to make it to the kitchen, Nina following after. He saw Kady sitting on the kitchen floor, her head buried in her hands, screaming.

"What's wrong!" Nina said, but her voice was lost in Kady's mad screaming.

Dan quickly ran to Kady, tossing his arms around her, "Kady, what happened? Are you okay?'

"Stop screaming Kady!" Nina yelled, "There is no one here but us!"

After doing their best to calm the girl, Kady finally stopped, her shoulders heaving with sobs.

"Kady…" Dan cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look up at him. Her tearful green eyes looked into his blue, "What happened?"

"T-The closet." Kady gasped.

He blinked then looked at the open closet, just noticing it, "Kady, there is nothing there."

Kady immediately sat up straight, eyes turning towards the closet. Her eyes widened, "N-no…that's i-impossible!"

"What are you talking about?" Nina hovered in the doorway, an uneasy look on her face.

"I saw something." Kady cried, "It was there, in the c-closet."

Dan stood up, helping a shaking Kady to her feet, "There's nothing here Kady bug."

"No, there was!" Kady said, staring in disbelief and horror at the now empty closet, "I saw…" She paused, her body trembling.

"What did you see?" Dan asked softly.

"I don't wanna hear it!" Nina said quickly, looking scared herself, "I don't want to have any more nightmares." She quickly left the room.

Kady leaned into Dan, comforted by his warm body, "I-I…saw a girl."

"What?"

Kady looked into his eyes, and he felt his own heart beat fast at the terror in her gaze, "She was dead Dan."

"I-I don't understand." Dan stammered.

"Her eyes." Kady whispered.

"What about them?" He swallowed, afraid to hear her answer, but knew he had to.

"They weren't there."

00oo00oo00oo00

"What the eff!" Nina yelled as they started walking fast down the street, "Why the hell did you have to tell me that!"

Dan walked fast after the blonde, Kady holding onto his hand, "I'm sorry, but I had to tell you."

Nina spun around, anger flashing in her eyes, "Gee thanks Dan, now I get to dream about the creepy _eyeless_ girl now. Why did you have to tell me about that shit!"

"I'm sorry Nina!" Dan said, "But you had the right to know."

"What is wrong with you?" Nina cried angrily as she stomped down the road. They were heading to their cars now, everyone agreeing readily that enough was enough. It was time to get on the road again and away from this creepy town.

Kady was trying her best not to think of the girl in the closet, but she was having a terrible time. The little pale toad girl, her face ashen, her mouth open in a moan. Her eyes. Her freaking eyes. They weren't there. There were only bloody pits where her eyes should be.

_Don't think about it._ Kady felt hot tears roll down her face when she closed her eyes, gripping harder to Dan's hand.

They reached the truck in no time and everyone piled in. Nina quickly bucked her seatbelt and Dan shut his door. Kady hugged herself in the back seat, her breath coming out in breathy gasps.

Dan turned the key in the ignition and Kady felt tears of relief prickle in her eyes as the truck roared to a start. He started pulling out. He backed out off the road and prepared to turn around, that was when they heard it.

THUNK.

The truck shook hard as it came to a stop. Nina cried out as it did so, hitting her head on the side window, "What the hell Dan!"

Dan gave her a helpless look and hopped out of the truck. Kady felt her heart pound harder in her chest. _No, please no._

Everyone exited the vehicle, and were horrified at what they found. The truck's left front tire was flat.

"The hell?" Nina cried when she saw the tire, "The hell Dan!"

"What?" Dan yelled back, "I didn't do it!" He bent down to look at the tire, "Oh my gosh."

"What?" Kady hugged her arms to her chest, trying to steady her racing heart.

Dan raised up, something in his hand, he dropped it to the ground seconds later, a look of shock on his face. Nina looked at what he dropped and gasped.

"It's…" Nina couldn't say much more, too startled by their discovery.

"A bone." Dan finished.

What appeared to be someone's thighbone rested on the dirt road, cracked in spots, sharp bone sticking up at the end.

"No way." Nina held her arms over her head, a look of horror on her face, "No way! No way! No way! Please say you have a spare!"

Dan gave them a helpless look.

They were stranded.

**I'm so naughty. :3 I made another horror fic! NOTE: This story will only be about two or three chapters. Two probably, but it depends. I may change the rating later to M, for gory reasons if I decide to take stuff far. Were you creeped out? I hope so, that is my goal. Please review and tell me how this story made you feel so far. Was it too slow at first? I wasn't really sure. This is an OC story, so hopefully you still enjoyed reading it. I may add true characters later, but I'm not sure how to go about doing that (maybe they get stranded too? Haha). Thanks for reading!**

**Reviews are like sugary sweetness! :D And I'd appreciate feedback, this thing was hell to type, it took days. T_T**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the feedback guys! :3 We have non OC's in this chapter! :0 Enjoy!**

**Chapter Two**

"No way!" Nina yelled, stomping her foot in frustration, "This is so stupid."

"It's fine." Dan tried to calm her down, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Let's just search for a mechanic's place or something, this town is pretty big.

"I'm not going near that place again." Nina snapped, "It's freaking creepy. You know what Kady saw, and you still want to venture back into that hell hole?"

Dan scowled, "We didn't see anything though, it was only Kady."

Kady felt hurt when he said this, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Nina glared at Dan, "Wow."

Dan glared back, "Nina seriously, shut up. It's not my fault we're stranded here, okay? I didn't know any of this crap would happen!"

"Please, stop arguing." Kady moaned, "I'm stressing out over here."

Nina sighed and sat on the tailgate of the truck, leaning against her duffel bag, "Let's just stay here for awhile and try to think of a good plan."

Kady sat down next to her, as did Dan. The friends all sat there for a while in silence, and then Nina spoke, "I got it." She jumped down from the truck bed, "Let's start walking."

"You mean, through the dark woods?" Kady felt a prickle of nervousness roll down her spine.

"Let's see here, creepy town or dark woods?" Nina said dryly.

Dan nodded, "She's right Kady bug. Let's start moving."

"Wait." Nina frowned, "What about our stuff?"

"We're leaving it." Dan said, "We can always come back for it later."

"What if someone steals it? Or the truck isn't here when we get back?" Nina looked worried.

Dan just rolled his eyes, "Yeah, like a bunch of ghosts or zombies or whatever want your makeup bag."

"Don't say that!" Kady yelled, clapping her hands over the sides of her head, "I don't want to hear anything like that."

"Sorry!" Dan sighed and tucked his keys away in his shell space, "Let's start walking then."

00oo00oo00oo00

The forest was quiet, there was no bird song, no crinkling of leaves in the wind. Nothing. The three friends traveled down the dirt path together, Nina holding hands with Kady who was trembling slightly.

"It's okay Kady bug." Nina tried to calm her friend, "We're here with you, and everything is going to turn out fine."

"H-how do you know?" Kady stammered, looking around them with wide eyes. She hated this place, it was terrifying to her. The darkness pressed in from all sides and the silence was almost suffocating.

Nina squeezed her friend's hand, "I won't let anyone hurt you Kady. As long as we're together, we'll be fine."

Kady nodded but didn't say anything, instead she gazed about in wide eyed fear at the darkness pressing in at all sides, trying hard to contain the scream of fear and frustration that was building in her soul.

00oo00oo00oo00

"Dude, we're lost, aren't we?" Goombella gave Toad a long look, and he stopped the van, pulling off onto the side of the road.

"You have been complaining the whole time!" Toad told her, his voice rising in irritation, "'Toad you drive like my grandpa' 'Toad why didn't you take that turn back there?' Toad! Toad! _Toad!_"

"All right! For petes sake will you give it a rest!" Bombette growled from the back seat, "You guys are like a married couple, and faintly it's creeping me out."

Toad made a cross with his fingers at Goombella who glared in return.

"Umm guys." Luigi spoke up from the backseat, "Are we out of gas?"

There was a pause then Toad spoke, "Err, I don't think so-oh crap!"

Goombella gaped, "What!"

Toad tapped on the console in front of him, staring in horror at the arrow that was pointing almost directly on 'empty'. He quickly started the vehicle in gear again and they entered a forested area.

"Gee, nothing sounds more fun than being stranded in the middle of nowhere." Goombella said with thick sarcasm.

"We're not out of gas yet smartie pants." Toad retorted.

Goombella just rolled her eyes and stared out the window.

"So…" Bombette started, "Anyone else excited for Bomb Blast Canyon?"

Goombella brightened up, "Yeah! I heard some scientists discovered ancient fossils on the canyon's bottom! There used to be a lake in the canyon, but it dried up long ago."

Toad snorted, "That's lame, I'm all for the canyon diving."

"Like you have the bal-" Goombella started.

"Keep it Pg you two." Luigi scolded from the back seat, "There is a child back here, remember."  
It was easy to forget the presence of a tiny toad boy named Ted T. who was currently a tiny form under a wide strapped seatbelt, staring with big curious eyes out the window. He was very quiet for a boy his age, and chose to spend the car trip listening with fascination to Goombella's college stories and Toad and her occasional bickering whilst staring at the scenery flying by them as they went down the road. Ted was going with them because Toad's mother refused to let him leave if he didn't bring his little brother along for some 'brotherly' bonding.

"Hey little buddy." Toad said from the front seat, "How you holding back there?"

"Kay." Ted said, "But I think I gotta go soon."

Toad sighed, "Ted, you went at the last stop, remember? You dumped cheese sauce all over the car seat when you dumped your nachos? We made a pit stop at the gas station?"

"I drank a coke." Ted replied, "I found it under your seat."

Toad made an annoyed noise and turned the van onto another road, heading deeper into the woods. Soon the area was dimly lit, and Toad found he had to switch on the headlights.

"Don't do that!" Goombella protested, "We're running out of gas remember!"

"Well I can't very well drive in the _dark_ Goombella." Toad snapped in return.

Suddenly the van slowed and Toad quickly shifted gears, a panicked look on his face, "Oh no, oh no, oh no."

"I told you!" Goombella moaned as the van come to a stop altogether, "Now we are stranded."

Toad hit his fist against the steering wheel, yelping afterwards, holding his sore knuckles up to his face, "Why didn't you remind me to get gas when we were at the station, Miss _I know everything_."

"Well I didn't know you were stupid enough not to refill." Goombella shot back, "It's your stupidity that got us into this mess!"

"Why did I even agree to go on this trip with you!" Toad yelled.

"Guys, If you don't shut it right now I will light my fuse and send this van to the moon!" Bombette yelled, shooting up a spark from her fuse as a warning.

"Really? Neato!" Ted cheered.

"Let's just wait in the car for someone to find us." Luigi suggested, "We can't be the only vehicle to come this way."

"We can wait for five minutes." Goombella said, "But let's start walking and see if any towns or gas stations are nearby if no one comes."

"What?" Luigi gasped, "Do you see how dark this forest is? And you want to _walk_ through it?"

"Umm, yeah?" Goombella told him, "That or spend the night here in the _dark creepy wooded area_."

"Point taken." Luigi mumbled.

"Can we explore?" Ted piped from his place next to Bombette, sitting up in his seat excitedly.

"There could be psychos out there." Toad said, "Mom would have my head if she knew I had done something like that."

"We have Luigi." Ted pointed out; "He's brothers with Mario so he can protect us."

"I-I don't know about that!" Luigi protested, "I mean…I'm not anything like Mario."

"Oh don't be so humble!" Bombette teased, Luigi glaring in return.

00oo00oo00oo00

"We're going in circles!" Nina moaned, stopping to lean against a dead tree.

"No we're not." Dan said, "All the trees look the same, that's all."

"How do you explain this." Nina held up a paper clip, "I clipped this to a leaf we passed earlier."

"I found some foot prints too." Kady sighed wearily, "This vacation is turning out to be a nightmare."

"Let's try walking a straight line, right through bushes." Dan suggested, "No going around this time."

"I could trample through a million briars." Nina said, "To get out of this horrible place."

Soon the group was walking again, Kady glancing around nervously at the dark places between the trees, her imagination telling her stories of eyes watching from the shadows, and creeping creatures.

_Stop it!_ Kady told herself, _this forest is not a ghost town, it's a forest!_

"Do you hear that?" Dan said suddenly and the girls looked at him.

"What?" Nina said.

"Shh!" Dan quieted them, listening. They did the same and soon they all could hear footsteps approaching.

Kady imagined stumbling zombies, or other dark phantoms from a horror story, but instead found a toad walking towards them, followed by a goomba girl, toad child, a human wearing green, and a pink bomb omb."

"Oh thank goodness!" Nina ran towards them, followed by Dan and Kady.

00oo00oo00oo00

"Stop it."

Goombella popped the bubble with her tongue giving Toad a mischievous look, "Sorry, I don't know what you're talking about."

Toad turned his head to glare at her, "Stop popping your gum!"

"You guys need to give it a rest." Bombette rolled her eyes as they walked through the trees.

"She started it!" Toad grumbled.

They continued on in silence but after awhile Ted spoke up, "Umm, Toad?"

"Yes?"

"I…have to wee."

Goombella almost choked on her gum laughing, Toad giving her a sideways glance.

"Aww." Bombette squealed, "Isn't he darling?"

Ted looked at them in confusion, shuffling his feet in anxiety, "I gotta go awful bad."

"Fine." Toad sighed, "Let's find a large bush."

"Oh thank goodness!"

They all looked forward in confusion at the yell, and everyone smiled in relief when they saw a koopa girl race forward, a blonde ponytail swinging behind her.

"Hi!" Goombella smiled as the koopa girl stopped in front of them, "Our van broke down, would you happen to know if there's a gas station nearby?"

"Oh no!" The koopa girl moaned, just as two other koopas ran up.

"What is it?" Dan looked at Toad who was closest, "Hey dude, can you give us a ride?"

"Eh, sorry." Toad said, "But we ran out of gas a ways back."

"What?" Kady gasped in horror, "So we're _still_ stuck here!"

Luigi's eyes widened and he stepped forward, "What? You folks are stranded too?"

"Yeah." Dan sighed, "We have a blown tire."

"This sucks!" Nina shrieked angrily, "We're going to be stuck here forever!"

"Calm down Nina." Dan told her, "I'm sure help will come eventually."

"Wait!" Luigi said suddenly, a look of relief on his face, "I forgot! I brought my phone."

"Darn it." Nina cursed, "I have one too, but it's not charged. Do you have minutes?"

"I have plenty." Luigi said, pulling a sleek silver phone from his overall pocket, a green 'L' charm hanging from its top, "I'll call 911 and they should refer us to someone who can help."

Everyone waited as Luigi held the phone up to his ear and after awhile the man frowned, pushing a few more buttons on the phone, "I can't pick up a signal."

"I knew it!" Nina moaned, "This is just like that movie where a bunch of teens break down and can't call for help, then they get ambushed by monsters and picked off one by one!"

"We have a kid here!" Bombette said angrily, "Watch what you say!"

"Monsters?" Ted squeaked, "Cool!"

"Look," Luigi sighed tucking his phone away, "Do any of you know where we can get some gas? Or something?"

"Well, I didn't think about it earlier." Dan said, "But maybe that town we came from had a store with tires or something."

"No way!" Kady cried, "I'd rather wander this forest forever than go back there!"

"What's wrong with her?" Goombella asked Dan, watching as the koopa girl walked a ways off, looking more than a little freaked out.

"She saw…something that scared her." Nina said softly, "And I think I agree with her about not wanting to return. The town we found is abandoned and faintly, it creeps me out."

"An abandoned town?" Goombella's voice rose in excitement, "That's cool! Where is it?"

"Let's back track and try and find it again." Dan sighed, "Should be easy, we keep going in circles un-willingly."

"Cool! A ghost town?" Ted said excitedly, "I want to go!"

"I thought you had to pee?" Toad said dryly.

"I do!" Ted said, "But now I can go to the ghost town and use their bathroom!"

"G-ghosts?" Luigi yelped, not happy with the thought of seeing one again.

"There's no such thing." Bombette scowled.

"Technically there are boos." Goombella pointed out.

"They're not real ghosts!" Bombette argued.

Luigi moaned, "Can we please change the subject?"

"We have no choice!" Dan said, "We have to go back."

"The sun will probably set in a few hours, we should hurry." Goombella said.

"Kady, are you coming?" Dan looked at Kady who looked torn, "You don't have to go in any buildings, you can stay in the truck if you want."

"Alright." Kady swallowed, "But hurry, I don't want to be in that _place_ when the sun goes down."

The group began walking and Goombella led the front with Dan. She turned to look at him as they walked, "What's wrong with that girl, Kady?"

"She swears she seen something freaky in the house we stayed in."

"What did she see?"

Dan paused then glanced back to make sure Kady wasn't listening, "She said she saw…what sounds like a real ghost."

"No such thing." Bombette was suddenly walking between them.

"You'll just have to see for yourself." Dan told her and soon they were out of the woods and staring uphill at the buildings perched there.

**Yay! Now we have some Mario characters in the fray! I said this story was only going to be about two chapters, but I changed my mind. I will make this as many chapters as it takes to be finished. I hope you all enjoyed it. :) The scares begin anew next chapter! Leave a shiny review and tell me what you all thought about this chapter. ^_^ Thanks for reading!**


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